Providing Leadership in Reading First Schools: Essential Elements Dr. Joseph K. Torgesen Florida Center for Reading Research Miami Reading First Principals, September, 2006

3. New discoveries from scientific research about reading can provide the basis for improved outcomes for all children Why do we have Reading First 2. Prevention of reading problems is far more effective and humane than trying to remediate after children fail 1. Far too many poor and minority children are being “left behind” when it comes to growth of proficient reading skills

1. Increase the quality, consistency, and reach of instruction in every K-3 classroom 2. Conduct timely and valid assessments of reading growth to identify struggling readers. Use this data to improve school level and instructional planning 3. Provide more intensive interventions to help struggling readers “catch up” to grade level standards in each grade K-3. Three essential areas in which we must become stronger every year to meet our goals

The most important Reading First goals: 1. Increase the percentage of students reading “at grade level” each year at each grade level from kindergarten through third grade 2. Decrease the percentage of students with serious reading difficulties each year at each grade level These goals are to be met while considering all children taking the year end test, not just those who have received the full treatment

The most important Reading First goals: Overall student performance should increase each year do to two factors: In each successive year, many of the students will have had the advantage of previous RF instruction Each year, instruction at each grade level, and school-level systems as a whole, should be stronger

How are Reading First Schools in Florida doing in meeting these goals?

First Grade –% at grade level on Sat 10 Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

First Grade –% with serious difficulties in reading comprehension Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

Second Grade–% at grade level on Sat 10 Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

Second Grade level–% with serious difficulties in reading comprehension Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

Third Grade–% at level 3 or above on FCAT Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

Third grade–% with serious difficulties in reading comprehension (level 1 on FCAT) Miami-Dade Previous RF Award New Districts

Student Demographics for all students grades K-3 Cohort 1 = 30,000 per grade Cohort 2 = 6,500 per grade Cohort 3 = 19,000 per grade

Student Demographics for all students Grade K-3 Miami-Dade = 9,500 per grade Prev. Dist. = 7,100 per grade New Dist. = 2,200 per grade Miami has the most difficult demographics of any of the groups

It is clear that there has been significant variability in success among Reading First Schools in Meeting the Essential Goals

YYGL – Increase in % of students at grade level YYGL – Amount of reduction in % of students at grade level R with %FR lunch = -.01 R with %FR lunch =.04

YYGL – Increase in % of students at grade level YYGL – Amount of reduction in % of students at grade level N=6 N=38 N=35

Relationship of “school challenge” to student performance Level of School Challenge based on % of students qualifying for FR lunch % of 1-3 Students Performing At Grade Level at the End of Year Increasing Challenge Decreasing Performance Average % at GL 587 RF schools in Florida

The Adult Learning and Performance Gap Low 15% schools Top 15% Schools Approx. 25% 1 6 Level of School Challenge based on % of students qualifying for FR lunch % of 1-3 Students Performing At Grade Level at the End of Year

Bridging the Adult Performance Gap Practices from Comparable Schools Making Significant Gains SBRR

The essential elements for success Practices from Comparable Schools Making Significant Gains Suggests to leaders that a SET of components as a SYSTEM are effective in improving achievement. SBRR Allows educators to know about the effectiveness of individual components such as a specific instructional program or a particular progress monitoring assessment procedure.

1. Efforts to help increase the quality, consistency, and reach of instruction in every K-3 classroom Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools a. Insuring teachers have excellent professional development, including strong training in use of the core program to guide instruction b. Monitoring and supporting classroom instruction through principal walkthroughs Are teachers providing explicit, systematic, and motivating whole group instruction? Is small group instruction differentiated appropriately by student need? Are other students engaged in independent learning activities that are appropriate and engaging

Organization of a classroom during small group instruction Classroom teacher and group of 4 Independent Learning Activity (4) Resource teacher and group of 3 FCRR has developed 240 ISA’s for K-2 and 170 for 2-3 – are they being used effectively? Independent Learning Activity (3) Are these students working productively on appropriate practice activities?

Value of the principal’s walkthrough

Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools 2. Be sure school-level assessment plan is working, and provide leadership in use of data to plan instruction at the school and classroom level School level planning involves identifying needs for materials, personnel, time – takes place in spring or early summer-has budget implications

Budgeting for Success

Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools 2. Be sure school-level assessment plan is working, and provide leadership in use of data to plan instruction at the school and classroom level School level planning involves identifying needs for materials, personnel, time – takes place in spring or early summer-has budget implications Provide leadership for the use of data to make adjustments and increase power of instruction for those who need it –attend important data meetings

Successful schools use data effectively

Making decisions and following up

Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools Provide powerful interventions to students who need them for as long as they need them A. Developing a school schedule that allows sufficient time for interventions B. Identifying or providing sufficient personnel to deliver the intervention instruction C. Providing appropriate programs and materials to support the intervention instruction Will need something for fluency growth

Students at Benchmark in ORF at Grades 1-3, Assessments 1 through 4 Assess 1Assess 2Assess 3 Assess 4 1 st Grade 2 nd Grade 3 rd Grade 72% 64% 64% 54% 56% 54% 53% 46% 45% 44% 48% 38% 37 th 34 th 30th

Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools Provide powerful interventions to students who need them for as long as they need them A. Developing a school schedule that allows sufficient time for interventions B. Identifying or providing sufficient personnel to deliver the intervention instruction C. Providing appropriate programs and materials to support the intervention instruction Will need something for fluency growth Many student will need extra support for the development of early reading accuracy-phonics

62 nd percentile 50 th percentile 42 nd percentile

Schools were selected based on their index of Effectiveness of Core Instruction (ECI) Looking at growth in phonemic decoding in 20 RF schools that had different success on the first grade ECI 10 high performing schools 10 low performing schools

District 1 School High ECI 65%76% High performing school

District 2School High ECI 50%68% High performing school

District 3School High ECI 49%58% High performing school

District 1School Low ECI 82%42% Low performing school

District 2 School Low ECI 69%37% Low performing school

District 3School Low ECI 63%35% Low performing school

Percentage of students meeting benchmarks in 1 st Grade NWF for High ECI and Low ECI Reading First Schools

Points of Maximum Impact and Leadership Focus in Successful Reading First Schools Provide powerful interventions to students who need them for as long as they need them A. Developing a school schedule that allows sufficient time for interventions B. Identifying or providing sufficient personnel to deliver the intervention instruction C. Providing appropriate programs and materials to support the intervention instruction D. Oversight, energy, follow-up – use data meetings to ask about students, make decisions to increase support, etc.

Materials and Instruction Time and Grouping AssessmentData Utilization Professional Development School Organization and Support School and District Leadership Coaching Before the School Year Begins: Action Planning Adjustments made to Action Plan During the Year For Groups and Individuals Via: Instructional Planning Materials and Instruction Time and Grouping AssessmentData Utilization Professional Development School Organization and Support School and District Leadership Coaching

Instructional planning often reveals problems that have implications for budget, scheduling, personnel, etc. Solving these problems requires involvement of the leadership team and adjustments in the Action Plan.

Putting It All Together: Action Planning and Instructional Planning

Principals and Coaches Hold the Key to Closing the Adult Learning and Performance Gap

The Key Change Agents for Action Planning are the Principal with Input from the Coach Data Informs Planning for Critical Variables: Materials and Instructional Practices Time/Coverage/Mastery and Grouping Practices Assessment Practices Data Utilization Practices Professional Development School Organization and Support School Leadership - Principal Reading First Coach

The Key Change Agent for Instructional Planning is the Coach with Support from the Principal Instructional Planning Utilizing: Grade Level Data Classroom Data Small Group Data Individual Data Instructional Planning

A final concluding thought…. There is no question but that it is going to be difficult to make improvements each year in increasing the proportion of students at grade level and reducing the proportion of students with serious reading difficulties It will require strong leadership, dedicated teachers, effective action and instructional plans at the school and classroom level… It’s a little like herding cats, but perhaps a little more difficult…

Working effectively to leave no one behind…

Thank You

Important resources for Reading First Principals 1. Your reading coach 2. Your District Reading First leadership team 3. The Reading First Professional Development Coordinator Assigned to your School Human Resources Written Materials 1. FCRR Reports on various supplemental and intervention programs available at 2. Independent student center activities available from FCRR – each teacher should have a set – can also be downloaded at

Important resources for Reading First Principals Written Materials (cont.) 1. Brief document for principal’s called A Principal’s Guide to Intensive Reading Interventions for Struggling Readers in Reading First Schools at 2. Full document describing practices used in Reading First schools in Florida who have been relatively successful in implementing effective interventions. An executive summary of the document is included with your materials. Full document available at 3. A new document that explains how classroom teachers should be providing differentiated in their classrooms to meet the needs of more students-at